Car-coupling.



No. 794,885. PATENTED JULY 18, 1905. W. F. RICHARDS.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.15, 1904.

pany as assignee of iVillard F. Richards.

Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT FFICEQ WVILLARD F. RICHARDS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GOULD COUPLER COMPANY, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,885, dated July 18, 1905. Application filed September 15, 1904. Serial No. 224,483.

To all whom. it nury concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD F. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to car-couplers of the Master Oar-Builders type, and more particularly to lock lifting or operating devices for car couplers of the character disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 700,441, granted May 20, 1902, to Gould Coupler Oom- The coupler shown in said patent comprises a horizontally-swinging knuckle and a pivoted vertically-movablelock which is held down in locking position in the path of the tailpiece of the knuckle by a suitable spring.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and desirable lock-lifting device for couplers of this character whereby the couplers are adapted for passenger-car service and for cars and locomotives where there is insulficient space between the couplerhead and the overhanging part of the car or locomotive for a lock-operating device on top of the coupler.

A further object of the invention is to so construct and arrange the lock-lifting device that but slight change is necessary in the construction of the coupler.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation in line 1 1, Fig. 2, of a car-coupler embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof, partly in plan. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation thereof in line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the draw-head, B the swinging knuckle, which is pivoted at one side of the draw-headon the vertical pin 6, and C the lock, which is arranged longitudinally in the rear central portion of the draw-head and pivoted at its rear end at 0, so that its front end can swing vertically into and out of locking engagement with the tailpiece of the knuckle. The front end of the lock is normally held down in locking position in the path of the tailpiece of the knuckle by a suitable spring (Z (shown by dotted lines) and is lifted above the tailpiece to release the knuckle. These parts are all constructed, arranged, and operate substantially as described in said patent.

The lock-lifting device is constructed as follows: E represents a lock-lifting block which is confined and adapted to move vertically in a hole a in the bottom of the draw-head to one side of the lock and has a finger or lug a, Fig. 3, which projects laterally beneath and bears against the under side of the lock O. The lifting-block is prevented from dropping out of the draw-head, and its downward movement is limited by a pin f, which passes beneath the lateral finger of the lifting-block and through depending supporting-earsf on the bottom of the draw-head. Any other suitable stop may be employedin place of the pinf. The lifting-block is also provided with 7 a vertical stem g, which extends up through a hole 9 in the top of the draw-head, which hole, together with the hole 6 in the bottom of the draw-head, serves to guide the liftingblock in its vertical movements. spring H surrounds the stem 9 between a shoulder on the lifting-block and the top of the draw-head and acts to yieldingly hold the lifting block down in its normal position shown in the drawings.

I represents a lever which is fulcrumed at the side of the draw-head adjacent to the lifting-block on a pivot-pin z', passing through suitable depending lugs or ears a" on the drawhead. One arm of the lever extends inwardly beneath the draw-head and enters the bifurcated lower end of the lifting-block, and the other arm thereof extends up at the side of the draw-head and is connected in any suitable manner with'the usual hand-lever or other device (not shown) located at the side of the car for unlocking the coupler. Thelever may be pivoted on the draw-head and connected with the lock-lifting block in any other suitable way.

By pulling outwardly on the upper end of the lever I its inwardly-projecting arm raises the lock-lifting block E, which by the en- A coilgagement of its finger with the lock C lifts the latter and releases the knuckle. The spring H acts to return the lock-lifting block to its normal lower position and hold it down against any tendency to rise due to the weight of the chain or other connection pulling on the lever, the jolting of the coupler, or other lifting force.

The lock-lifting device described is of simple and inexpensive construction and can be applied to couplers of the kind described without changing their form or construction in any material respects.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a car-coupler, the combination with the draw-head, knuckle and vertically-swinging lock, of a lock-lifting block movable vertically in the draw-head adjacent to the lock and having apart which engages and lifts the look, a spring for holding said lock-lifting block down, and a lever arranged at one side of the draw-head for operating said liftingblock, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination with the draw-head, knuckle and vertically-swinging lock, of a lock-lifting block movable vertically in the draw-head beside the lock and guided in holes in the top and bottom of the draw-head and having a part which engages and lifts the lock, and a lever fulcrumed on the draw-head at one side thereof and having an arm in operative connection with the lower end of said lifting-block, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination with the draw-head,knuckle and vertically-movable lock, of a lock-lifting block movable vertically in a hole in the bottom of the drawhead beside the lock and having a part which engages and lifts the look, a stern on said lifting-block passing through a holein the upper portion of the draw-head. a spring surrounding said stem for yieldingly holding said lifting-block down, and a device for raising said lifting-block, substantially as set forth.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination with the draw-head, knuckle and vertically-movable lock, of a lock-lifting block movable vertically in the draw-head adjacent to the lock and having a lateral projection which engages and lifts the lock astop which is engaged by said lateral projection to limit the downward movement of said lifting-block, a spring for yieldingly holding said lifting-block down, and a device for raising said lifting-block, substantially as set forth.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination with the draw-head, knuckle and vertically-movable lock, of a lock-lifting block movable vertically in the draw-head beside the lock and having a part which engages the lock and a part which projects out through a hole in the bottom of the draw-head, and a lever fulcrumed externally on the draw-head at one side thereof and having an arm which extends beneath the draw-head and engages said lifting-block, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 8th day of September, 1904.

WILLARD F. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

CHAs. W. PARKER, EDWARD (J. HARD. 

